Esme Baird
Born and raised in Scotland, Esme’s life was never touched by the stories of war. She didn’t spend her childhood running about Diagon Alley on trips with her mother, hearing about the great war and all that had been done to stop the rise of Lord Voldemort and his followers. Marie Boot, her mother, was a pureblood witch but one that had chosen a life away from magic in the hopes of escaping the reaches of a war she never wanted to be a part of. It was in the highlands of Scotland that she met the man that she would come to marry, Esme’s father Alan. A muggle without much to his name, he gave the two of them all the love and affection that could have been hoped for and they flourished in the simplicity. Then, at eleven years old, Esme received a letter by owl. Esme, too young to know better, begged and pleaded to go until finally, Marie had no choice but to give in. On September the first, she took Esme to King’s Cross station and sent her away into the world she had abandoned. Esme flourished at Hogwarts. She had always felt out of place in school, with children her own age. She was an oddity to most everyone she met, her nose stuck in fantasy books. Magic had been a part of her life long before she knew it existed. She continued to believe in unicorns while other children renounced the tooth fairy. It was as if she had known all along that her mother was keeping this secret and it gave her the ability to hold onto things that others might have deemed childish. Once in school, with a library of knowledge at her fingertips, she found her way in the world for once. Herbology and Charms became her favorite classes almost immediately and every summer, she would go home and tell her father all the things she learned. In her fourth year, she was at the top of her class. By fifth year year, she’d cast a full-fledged patronus. In the summer of her sixth year, she told her mother she wanted to become a healer. Her entire life became dedicated to keeping her grades as high as possible, her eyes on St. Mungo’s. She finished her seventh year and went right into an internship, working night and day to compile as many hours as was allowed. She found a small flat in London to call home for the time being, seeing it as a temporary living space. If life went according to plan, she’d move up quickly. Esme didn’t function in the moment - every plan at options A, B, and C and each alternative had a million different options attached that she was dedicated to being prepared for. Forget a five year plan. Esme had a fifteen, twenty, and thirty year plan, too. Of course, that was easier to execute in theory than it was in reality. Life outside of Hogwarts moved slower for Esme and it was an adjustment, realizing that not everything would work on her timeline. Promotions came slower, healers were much more competitive than she expected, but none of that mattered to her. She’d set her mind to a task and she refused to give up on her goals. She rarely returned home once she was offered a permanent position. Within three years, she’d risen to the lead Healer of the fourth floor - Spell Damage. Her pride was at an all-time high but outside of work, her social life slipped into oblivion. She always felt something was missing. She was fairly reclusive, but she’d never admit she was lonely. She’d always been a romantic, idolizing her parents’ relationship, but she also saw it as a once in a lifetime love. The chances of Esme herself finding love like that seemed slim. She was the byproduct of true love, so her chances were one in a million. Instead of dwelling on it, she dedicated herself to putting all the emotion she had to give to the right causes. Helping those in need, no matter their background or affiliation. She volunteered for charities on her days off, both muggle and wizard. If she wasn’t going to have a life outside of serving others, she could at least be sure to give it her all. When the war broke out once more, Esme hated the idea of getting involved. Like her mother, she thought that war was senseless. There were no sides for her. She simply believed in the preservation of life; muggles and purebloods and everyone in between. She shared her opinions whenever possible, hoping that maybe just by believing enough, she could make the world a better place. She was an optimist at heart, but that could ultimately be her downfall.